


Ichabod and Abbie's Latest Adversary: A Baby!

by Cumberbatch Critter (ivelostmyspectacles)



Series: Sleepy Hollow OTP Prompts [25]
Category: Sleepy Hollow (TV)
Genre: Babysitting, Children, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Maternal Abbie, Paternal Ichabod, Stuck with a Baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-20
Updated: 2014-11-20
Packaged: 2018-02-26 08:51:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2645723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivelostmyspectacles/pseuds/Cumberbatch%20Critter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ichabod and Abbie have a baby.</p><p> </p><p>For the weekend.</p><p>
  <b>Prompt: Person A and Person B are stuck taking care of a baby together.</b>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ichabod and Abbie's Latest Adversary: A Baby!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sagittae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sagittae/gifts).



> Prompted, wonderfully, by [Xelbie](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Xelbie/pseuds/Xelbie). I liked writing this one. A lot. Thinking back over some of my other favourite TV shows, this having-a-baby-for-a-day (or so) thing always makes me smile. Thank you for the prompt!
> 
> I do not own _Sleepy Hollow_. Thanks for reading!

"Oh my God..."

"... No, I believe his name is Ian."

Abbie stared at the infant sleeping on the blanket on her floor. It was going to be a long weekend.

 

 

 

Abbie hadn't taken care of a baby in... well, ever. Okay, she had a little experience. She had spent some time with the babies from families in the precinct and she had changed a diaper, once. But she was _not_ good with children. It was not something she had thought about, well, ever. Her life, her job, she just... never thought about settling like that. She barely had time for a boyfriend at this point. Companionship was a choice, not a required thing.

Besides, she had Crane. Bromance before romance, even though it wasn't technically a bromance because she wasn't a dude, but - _whatever_. Babies. She was stuck babysitting a four month old. The kid's mom had been taken in on an arrest and the father was out of the picture. They were trying to track him down, but the baby had to go somewhere for the weekend, and children's services were full. No one had explicitly _asked_ Abbie... but they had looked at her in that way that made her feel like a jerk if she said no. So. A baby. Named Ian.

"I don't know what to do with him," Abbie muttered, watching the infant pluck at a plastic set of keys on the floor. "I've never been good with kids."

Crane, however, seemed to be much more interested in the setup than Abbie was. He'd even volunteered to help out (not that he knew how to deal with children, either, but Abbie suspected it was very much thanks to Henry... Jeremy that Crane had wanted to help in the first place).

"I doubt that they require much to amuse them in between time," Ichabod said fondly. His eyes were trained on Ian and had been since he'd walked into the house. "Look. He's taken a likeness to your fuzzy slippers."

Abbie shifted uncomfortably. She was _so_ out of her element.

 

 

"What is this?" Ichabod demanded, waving around the diaper.

"It's a diaper, Crane!" Abbie retorted over Ian screaming, swiping it away from him. "You can see the package right there, you can read!"

"Is this another display of _plastic_?" Ichabod retorted. "These are _not_ diapers."

"No, it's not plastic, it's just- ugh, can we do this some other time when Ian's not screaming?!"

Crane sniffed. "Very well," he said dryly.

 

 

"C'mon, Ian, it's good," Abbie mumbled, trying to guide the spoon into his mouth. "It's carrots and peas."

Ichabod was sitting aside, stabbing at his fast food and shoveling it into his mouth. "I can assure you, Lieutenant, it is _not_ good." He had, brazenly, tried the baby food that was meant for Ian. Which was now why he was shoveling his _own_ food in his mouth. To mask the taste.

Abbie sighed, laughing slightly. "I know it's not, Crane, but it's good _for_ him." She looked back at Ian. "Come on, Ian. Look," she said on inspiration, "it's an train. See?" She held the spoon aloft. "Now the train's coming, you gotta open your mouth. Chugga chugga..." Miming train noises. God, she'd stooped to a level she'd never touched before.

But Ian _did_ take the spoonful of puréed peas and carrots. Abbie called it a success.

Until she saw the look Ichabod was giving her. He wasn't laughing at her, or anything. Just smiling.

"Oh, shut up!" Abbie bristled.

Ichabod held up his hands. "I think it's charming."

"Do not say a word," Abbie mumbled. "I'm just trying to get him to eat."

She tried to ignore the way that Ichabod didn't stop smiling the entire time.

 

 

When Abbie got out of the shower, it was to Ichabod having Ian in his arms. The latter was reaching for a handful of Ichabod's hair, and Ichabod looked positively thrilled. It was the happiest that she had seen Crane in awhile, honestly, after the whole thing with Katrina had started up. The light in his eyes was undeniable. He was oozing paternal instinct. It was... sweet.

"All good?" she asked, towel drying her hair as she stepped into the room.

Ichabod looked up, only for his head to jerk because Ian was holding onto his hair. "Ow- oh, we're good," he added, smiling widely. "He rather enjoys my hair."

"I see that." Abbie leaned against the doorway.

Ichabod smiled at her for a moment longer before turning his attention back to Ian. "You have me now, young one," he said, and laughed quietly when Ian waved a chubby fist in reply.

 

 

By the end of the weekend, Abbie was a little more comfortable with kids. A little. She wasn't sure about having her own, but... yeah. Baby steps, as it were.

"Crane," she said, gripping his arm. "I would not have made it without you this weekend."

Ichabod looked down at her. "Oh, no. Lieutenant, you did a fine job. Little Ian has grown to adore you."

Abbie chuckled, looking down at Ian in Ichabod's arms. He was sleeping. He was adorable. Maybe she did have a little bit of a maternal instinct. "Well, it's off to children's services tomorrow. Hopefully his dad steps up. Unlike mine," she added, reaching over to wiggle her finger in between Ian's.

Ichabod looked at her again. "Lieutenant..."

"Uh uh, let's not. Forget I said that." Abbie smiled faintly as Ian gripped at her finger. "We're not opening that can of worms right now."

"You were abandoned by your father just as I abandoned my son," Ichabod mumbled, looking back at Ian. "I fear that I hold likeness to your father in that respect."

" _That_ is totally different," Abbie said sternly. "You _died_... relatively, anyway. My dad just flew the coop." She looked at him, and then Ian again. "You'd make a great father, Crane."

Ichabod smiled faintly. "And you as a mother, Miss Mills. Of that I have no doubt."

"Huh." Abbie smiled herself.

Ian shifted in his sleep but didn't wake up. He didn't let go of Abbie's finger, and Ichabod gently tucked the infant closer into his chest.


End file.
